Tom is a Managing Partner and Chief Technologist at Rational Futures, a consulting firm that advises corporate and government leaders on economic issues in advanced technology sectors. Prior to consulting, Tom served as a Senior Policy Advisor in NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy, where he focused on space sustainability, space commercialization, and emerging technologies. Prior to joining NASA, Tom worked at the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI), where he provided analytic and policy support to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, other councils within the Executive Office of the President, and senior policy makers from Federal Departments and Agencies. Before STPI, Tom served as a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE). Tom holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University.